It is necessary and required in the explosive art and in the propellant art to provide a plasticizer for nitrocellulose.
Nitramine plasticizers have been known for many years. However, all previously used nitramine plasticizers contained both nitramine and nitroxy ester groups ##STR1## N,N' Dimethyl methylenedinitroamine (DMMD) also known as N,N' dimethyl N-N dinitro-methanediamine. The abbreviation DMMD shall be used hereinafter to designate this compound is the first nitramine plasticizer which does not contain a nitroxy ester group. DMMD has the following formula: ##STR2##
Although there are many well known and readily available plasticizers for nitropolymers, none are entirely satisfactory. Compounds such as adiponitrile, triacetin, dibutyl phthalate are very good plasticizers but are inert and actually lower the energy content of the nitropolymer. On the other hand, compounds such as diethyleneglycoldinitrate, 1,1,1-trimethylolethanetrinitrate, nitroisobutyltrinitrate, and nitroglycerin contribute energy but they have the undesirable characteristics associated with nitrate esters; toxicity (headache potential), volatility, low thermal stability and high shock sensitivity. Nitroglycerin shows these undesirable properties to the greatest extent.
Nitramine compounds are both energetic and show considerable improvement in hazardous properties over those of the nitrate ester type. The cyclic nitramines, HMX and RDX are routinely used in propellant and explosives today to meet performance and safety goals. However, these nitramines are high melting solids and certainly cannot be used as plasticizers. Some linear nitramines have low melting points which make them potential plasticizers.